After 115 Years, M. Rohrs’ Bites the Dust

March 18, 2011

The city has lost yet another edible landmark: M. Rohrs’ House of Fine Teas and Coffees has closed its doors after 115 years of business.

DNAinfo reports that Donald Wright, the owner of the East 86th Street shop and café, decided to close due to a variety of factors, including Second Avenue subway construction, the crap economy, and an increase in rent and regulations. Apparently the legions of laptop campers didn’t help, either. M. Rohrs’ (the “M.” stood for Mary) offered 90 types of coffees and teas, which made it one of the city’s more unique purveyors. But as Wright said, that wasn’t enough: “[T]o survive in the city, you’ve got to be a chain or a big restaurant.”

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